23.03.2021
IBC Admin
"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
Eph 6:4
In Deuteronomy 6:6-7, we are encouraged to "Keep God's commands and diligently teach them to our children." The idea behind the word "diligently" is to "sharpen, prick, or pierce." It was a word used not only to sharpen a sword but can also for discipline. Here we see the high call of a parent to teach their children God's word.
In Ephesians 6:4, we see this same spirit when the Apostle Paul wrote, "bring your children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." God is letting us know again that one of the most important calls upon a parent is to give their children God’s word.
When my children were young (they are now adults), I don't think I fully appreciated the wisdom from God here. To be honest with you, I allowed too much of the world to influence their minds and hearts. While they claim to know Christ as Lord, I can see their struggle to put Him first in a world with many voices.
I think this is a common struggle with many believers in today's culture. In this media saturated world that is parading a volume of information unheard of in human history, it should not surprise us that our children would struggle to discern between God’s word and it’s many voices.
All this shows the seriousness of a parent's role in a child's life. The primary call upon a parent from God’s perspective is to impart His word into their lives. They are our church’s, nation’s and world’s future. One day, when our days on earth are finished, but they will be our legacy.
How we teach them to live and think will one day testify to the world of Christ's love, His word and salvation. May God grant us grace (we need it), and may He help younger parents to take heed, for one day they will be adults. May God grant grace that our children may carry in their hearts His love to a broken world!